|
NEWS
RELEASE |
Salmon
Interagency Dispatch
Upper
Columbia - Salmon Clearwater District BLM
Salmon
- Challis National Forest
Rural
Route 2, Box 600
Salmon,
Idaho 83467
|
For immediate release
Contact: Salmon Fire Information Center (208) 756-5283
Fire
and Closure Update – 15 August 2000
Area
/Road Closures and Restrictions
Very serious consideration
is being given to closing the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness,
including the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and that portion of the Main
Salmon River that flows through the Wilderness. Concerns include
extreme fire behavior (300-400 foot flame lengths), very limited access,
and thick smoke that would complicate any search-and-rescue operations
that might be required. People planning river trips or trips into
the wilderness are encouraged to check with this office to learn the status
of this pending decision.
§Salmon
River: The Middle Fork and Main Salmon River are open. Effective
today, wood and charcoal fires are prohibited. Only stoves fueled
by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels may be used.
§Highway
93: The highway is now open. Visibility is limited.
Speed limit is 45 mph. The highway may be closed any time fire activity
makes travel unsafe. Motorist are advised to call toll-free 800-226-ROAD
(7623) for current status.
§Yankee
Fork Road (FS #013): Depending on
Rankin Creek Fire activity, vehicles may be stopped in the section of road
between Sunbeam and Rankin Creek, and permitted to proceed only with a
pilot car. The road is closed from 9 PM to 7 AM daily.
Custer County Sheriff deputies and Forest Service law enforcement officers
are enforcing this restriction.
Morse
Creek Road (FS #094) is closed.
No open fires are permitted in BLM campgrounds in the Challis area
except Cottonwood Campground.
Fires
Fire
activity in Hughes Creek relates to Hughes Creek, Montana,
not Hughes Creek, Idaho.
Media representatives
are required to contact Salmon Fire Information at 1-208-756-5283
to arrange for escorts into fire areas. Media representatives must
bring their own boots for fireline visits. Boots must be leather,
lace-up type, 8 inches in height.
Clear Creek Fire
Acreage: 130,000
Percentage Contained:
20%
Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown
Current Situation:
The fire jumped control lines yesterday in three areas: on the southwest
perimeter, it’s moving toward Musgrove Creek; on the northwest perimeter,
it’s burning in the area of Dome Lake; and in the southeast perimeter,
it’s burning in the area of Leacock Point. Fire behavior was erratic
yesterday, with uphill runs and torching. Uphill runs were observed
in Mayflower Gulch. Crews are continuing burnout efforts along upper
Napias Creek and Panther Creek.
One crew was assigned
to the Pine Gulch Fire yesterday. It was started by lightning on
July 10, but had been inactive until a couple of days ago. Roughly
estimated at 200 acres yesterday morning, it is burning north of the Clear
Creek Fire’s northeast perimeter. It has burned to the Salmon River
Road west of Shoup.
Resources on the Fire:
1513
people, 12 helicopters, 52 engines, 17 dozers. Hutchison’s
Type I Incident Management Team will assume management of the fire tomorrow.
Firefighter Safety Concerns/Injuries:
Extremely steep, rocky terrain. No injuries reported yesterday.
Rankin Creek Fire
Acreage: 2,116
acres
Injuries: None
Percentage Contained:
85%
Estimated Date of Full Containment: August 15
Resources:
279 people, 12 engines, 2 dozers.
Location: 25 air miles southwest of Challis
Current Situation:
Crews
made good progress yesterday, completing about 3 miles of dozer line on
two critical sections of the fire perimeter. The fire backed
up to Yankee Fork Creek. Threatened structures include Bonanza Guard
Station, Hecla Mine, Custer Ghost Town, Yankee Fork Dredge Interpretive
Center, the town of Sunbeam, and 10 Forest Service campgrounds.
Morse Fire
Acreage: 750 acres
Location: Pahsimeroi Valley
Percentage Contained:
15%
Estimated Date of Full Containment: Unknown
Resources:
A total of 50 people. A Type II fire management team has been ordered to
manage this fire.
Current Situation:
Yesterday the fire is spread uphill in medium to heavy timber fanned by
erratic winds. Firefighters are attempting to hold the fire north
of Morse Creek drainage and south of Tater Creek.
Wilderness Fires
Acreage: 10,000
Location: Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
Current Situation: There
are now about 25 wilderness fires burning in the Salmon-Challis NF portion
of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. The Butts and
Fern fires west of Corn Creek have burned together; the fire is now ¾
miles from Salmon River Lodge. Structure protection is in place.
West of Middle Fork Peak, about 8 fires are burning in a north-south alignment
about 10 miles in length, starting at Cave Creek on the south.
Fire has burned down Camas Creek but it has not reached Yellowjacket (it
remains west of Yellowjacket).
Resources on Fire: 17
personnel, 2 engines (at structures on wilderness boundary).
Injuries: None
Other Important Information:
For detailed information
about the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, call 208-879-4101.
For detailed information
on the Main Salmon River, call 208-865-2700 during weekday office hours.
For information on hunting
permits in the fire area, contact Idaho Fish and Game at 208-756-2271.
Clear Creek Fire updates
will be distributed as information becomes available.
Fire maps are available
at the Salmon-Challis National Forest office on Highway 93 south of Salmon.
For additional fire information please call: 208-756-5283 or log
on to the Salmon-Challis National Forest website at
www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/fire2000.
Prevention:
Many Salmon area residents
are improving the fire safety of their property by reducing brush and debris.
Cutting tall grass and sagebrush, and removing lower tree branches helps
prevent fire from reaching homes and structures. A 30-foot perimeter
cleared around a home will reduce wildfire risk dramatically.
Prevention volunteers are contacting homeowners in the Salmon area
door-to-door to provide information and advice.
For more information on ways to reduce fire threats around your property
contact Bob Perry, Chief of the Salmon Fire Department and Lemhi County
Fire Protection District at 208-756-3025, or Ron Hodgson at 208-756-8554.
A burn ban is in effect
for the City of Salmon: open burning and fires in burn barrels are prohibited.